


cards on the table (we're both showing hearts)

by byeolbit



Category: Groovl1n
Genre: Chiwoong and Inseob being soft, Drabbles, M/M, Romance, sort of slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2020-12-12 19:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20975126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byeolbit/pseuds/byeolbit
Summary: Three times Chiwoong's heart skipped and the one time Inseob slipped up to reveal that his did too.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LiesandJintrigue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiesandJintrigue/gifts).

Chiwoong wandered into the studio's common area. 

His stomach rumbled and it felt like there was a cavity where the body organ should have been. He vaguely recalled seeing pizza in the fridge and he hoped some of it was still left.

The studio was silent since Daehyun, Wonshik and Woosung were all out filming. Chiwoong hummed to himself as he scanned through the vending machine. Citrus vitamin water or iced tea?

"Decisions, decisions" he sighed to himself. He looked around while trying to decide between the two beverages. He noticed something sticking out on the couch. 

Chiwoong picked up a bottle of iced tea and walked over, curious to what was on the couch. Wonshik had a habit of ordering eclectic things to be placed in the studio much to Daehyun's dismay. Maybe it was something very weird this time and Chiwoong could tease his hyung.

A closer look revealed it to be Inseob's hair sticking out with the man himself splayed awkwardly across the couch. His face rested on an open textbook over the arm and Chiwoong winced, knowing it couldn't be comfortable.

"Hyung" Chiwoong said as he patted Inseob's shoulder. His face was turned away from him and nestled into the crook where the arm joined the body of the couch.

It was very likely that the man had fallen asleep studying. It was that time of the semester when everyone was overloaded with assignments. And if the number of books on the coffee table in front of the couch were an indication, Inseob had a lot on his plate.

"Hyung wake up. You're drooling over your textbook" Chiwoong told him, tugging on the textbook. Inseob grumbled but turned to face Chiwoong. He sleepily glared as he lifted his head, allowing Chiwoong to pull the textbook away and place it on the table.

"Wake me up in five minutes" Inseob told him before going back to sleep almost instantaneously. 

Chiwoong chuckled and set about tidying up. He stacked the textbooks and notes, burying the papers under a notebook as paperweight so they wouldn't fly away. He turned to Inseob who had curled up on the couch, pulling his knees in.

The defined lines of his jaw and his nose looked softer when he was asleep. His breathing was slow and his chest rose and fell rhythmically. Chiwoong frowned when he noticed that his eye bags were darker than before. Between the recordings and classes, there was no way that Inseob was getting enough rest.

Chiwoong took his jacket off and covered Inseob with it. Whatever Inseob had to do could be done better after some rest, he decided.

Inseob relaxed visibly. The warmth must have helped since he looked more peaceful now. Chiwoong smiled to himself, pushing the hair out of Inseob's face. He felt warm and soft and Chiwoong sat down on the floor next to the couch. His back rested against the couch and his hand lay on Inseob's head, fingers running through his hair.

His heart jumped a little when Inseob sleepily murmured a thank you. He decided to continue for a while more. He didn't have anywhere to be and he didn't want to leave just yet.


	2. II

Chiwoong relaxed, feeling the bean bag shift underneath him to accommodate his movement. This was Wonshik hyung's best investment. No it was Groovl1n's best investment to date. Even better than the hoverboard, if Chiwoong dared to say so himself.

He wanted to sink in and never get up ever again.

Next to him, Inseob echoed the sentiment. He was sprawled out over another bean bag, black instead of red. They had an entire assortment of dark colours. ("Light colours are difficult to clean and easy to dirty" Daehyun had complained).

Technically both of them were supposed to be in the studio but they didn't really want to move from the common room. Inseob had even brought snacks that were placed on a coffee table nearby and within his arm's reach. There was no way he was moving anytime soon.

"Should we do an insta live now?" Inseob asked, picking up his phone.

"I don't want to move over to you. I just found the perfect angle for maximum relaxation" Chiwoong said. He closed his eyes and sighed as the muscles in his back relaxed. This was the good life.

He cracked an eye open to look towards Inseob. The elder man was scrolling through something on his phone. Probably checking his phone. 

Ever since the release of Ruined his fandom had grown and more people left comments on the forums and discussed his work on SNS. Inseob hyung liked going through them from time to time.

He was clearly enjoying what he read from the way his eyes lit up. Chiwoong admired Inseob's proficiency in English because he could read comments with minimal dependence on the translator. Inseob chuckled and Chiwoong wondered what was so funny.

The small chuckle devolved into all out laughter as Inseob cracked up. Chiwoong raised an eyebrow when Inseob almost fell over the side clutching his stomach.

"What's so funny?" Chiwoong asked curiously. Inseob tried to reply but ended up laughing more so he just stretched his arm out to hand his phone over to Chiwoong.

It was an instagram [video](https://www.instagram.com/p/B22MjqRJ2-x/?igshid=125hl19oqvagq). Chiwoong recognized the app immediately. It was a video of a cat and a kitten sitting on a carton. The older cat was the mother? or father? Definitely a parent of the kitten from the looks of it.

The kitten kept meowing and scratching the edge of the box, unsure of how to jump onto the makeshift bed the owner filming it had made. It looked over and meowed and Chiwoong felt for the little soul. 

Sympathy was soon replaced with shock when the mother cat simply pushed the kitten in and it landed face first into the makeshift bed. Inseob laughed harder when he saw Chiwoong's face and the younger could only indignantly point. Inseob scooted over, trying to control his laughter.

The app automatically scrolled down to a new [video](https://www.instagram.com/p/B3oJcQkomYA/?igshid=1hd27bd2c7rx4). This time it was a close up of a cat who looked bewildered as a ringtone repeated on loop. It looked like the cat had accidentally facetimed someone and now had no idea what to do.

Inseob and Chiwoong burst into laughter together this time. Chiwoong was highly amused by the cat's bright eyes and Inseob simply couldn't calm down after laughing so hard for so long. He had to hold onto Chiwoong, forcing them to share the bean bag lest the elder fall and injure himself.

"Why are cats so funny?" Inseob asked, burying his head into Chiwoong's shoulder.

"Who knows?" Chiwoong said, resigning himself to being held captive as Inseob shook in laughter he could no longer control.

Chiwoong put his arm around Inseob and gave the elder some time to calm down. The way his eyes turned into mini crescent moons was too cute for him to look away.


	3. III

It's the cardinal rule of idol life that you go blonde at some point or the other in your life in the public eye.

Chiwoong decided to get his hair dyed from the get go but Inseob resisted it, sticking to plain black ever since he had known him.

He didn't want to have a mop of dead hair on his head no thank you. Who would bother spending fifteen minutes conditioning their hair when they could take quick five minute showers? Not to mention spending money on constant touch ups and redos to maintain it.

Which is why Chiwoong's and Woosung's jaws dropped when Inseob walked into the common area one evening and took his cap off to reveal diamond blonde hair.

"How" Chiwoong demanded, eager to to know. Inseob grumbled and walked off into his studio, not actually responding or acknowledging Chiwoong's exclamation.

"He actually looks really nice with that shade of blonde, holy hell" Woosung admitted.

"He gave me a lecture when I got my hair dyed!" Chiwoong protested indignantly to Woosung. This wasn't fair! And so suddenly? Did Inseob ever mention wanting a hairstyle change? Did he mention going blonde at all??

"Maybe I should convince Daehyun hyung that I can go blonde next" Woosung mused.

But Chiwoong heard none of that. He was up and already on the way to Inseob's studio room. He had a score to settle. Upon his pride as the ex youngest of Groovl1n, he couldn't not tease Inseob now that the elder has acquiesced to the popular trends of the hip hop idol life.

Chiwoong took a moment to school his expressions. He needs to look serious but the grin on his face refused to go away. He hopped and bounced around till he worked the extra energy from his excitement off and managed to look grave and sober.

Chiwoong opened the door to the studio silently. He almost called out to Inseob but stopped when he saw him lying back on his chair with his cap covering his face.

Inseob let out a sigh and sat up, taking his cap off. Chiwoong slipped into the studio but leaned against the wall instead of making his presence known. This might be amusing to watch.

Inseob fiddled with the equipment. His keyboard that changed colours as he typed held his attention for a fraction of a second before he huffed and slumped back into his chair.

He picked up his phone, unlocked it and turned on the camera. He took a deep breath before looking at his reflection on the screen. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and turned from left to right, analyzing his look.

Chiwoong was taken by surprise when Inseob smiled. He almost expected Inseob not to like it. Inseob had always been a little insecure about his looks, feigning nonchalance just to make it look like he didn't pay attention to it.

To see Inseob happy with his reflection made Chiwoong's own heart swell up with pride. Inseob took a selca for memory's sake and Chiwoong practically beamed with pride.

He slipped out of the studio as quietly as he had entered it. He will trouble Inseob tomorrow. He had a long list of reasons that Inseob used to deny changing his hairstyles earlier that he must tease the elder about.

But for tonight, he wanted to treasure his secret smile and happiness.


	4. IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This part is split over two chapters)

"Aaaaah hyung" Woosung protested shyly, covering the camera lens as best as he can so that Chiwoong couldn't film him.

"Yah! You're on a TV show!!! How are you camera shy??" Chiwoong asked, laughing at their maknae. 

Although Woosung joined Groovl1n long after it had started, it took very little time for everyone to start liking him. From the strict managers to the chirpy gossiping interns in marketing, everyone warmed up to Woosung quickly. Chiwoong knew that Woosung appreciated it but got terribly flustered since he isn't used to it.

As the self appointed moodmaker of Groovl1n, Chiwoong took it upon himself to get Woosung to open up. He offered to film a Groovlog to introduce their newest addition to the small fanbase they have and Daehyun readily agreed since he had a schedule with Wonshik to attend. The session quickly devolved into more teasing and protesting than actual shooting.

"Why are you both so noisy?" Inseob asked, popping his head out of his studio room.

"Sorry hyung" Chiwoong apologized and got glared at for all of his efforts. Somehow Inseob had gotten better at flustering him, not that Chiwoong would ever admit it.

"We're sorry hyung" Woosung speaks up and follows with a deep bow. Inseob's face softens and he sighs to himself before looking to Woosung and asking "did you eat yet?"

When Woosung answered in the negative, Inseob offered to take them out for fried chicken. Woosung brightened up immediately and Inseob chuckled to himself. Chiwoong frowned because it isn't that easy to make Inseob smile like that. 

It was a trend that Chiwoong had noticed. Inseob would often dote on Woosung and they would even share snippets of their fun KKT chats on instagram. They even had multiple selcas together and Woosung hung out with Inseob whenever he was in his studio. Inseob never texted him like that, he thought enviously. Or offered to hang out first. 

“I’ll pass” Chiwoong said, turning the recorder off. “I need to get this to the editing team and I promised Yujeong I would go down to his studio and listen to some of the new stuff he composed.”

“You sure?” Inseob asked, raising an eyebrow. Chiwoong never turned down free food. But he didn’t pester him further when he got a half hearted shrug in response.

-

“I want to eat chicken” Yujeong said, scrolling through the list of items on the restaurant’s app. The younger had only remembered when Chiwoong had shown up to his studio, sulking and cranky and very likely hungry.

“I never ever want to see fried chicken ever again” Chiwoong grumbled, burying his head in the pillow. 

“You were ready to go to war with Gyuhyun hyung over a piece of fried chicken last week” Yujeong reminded him.

“That was last week” Chiwoong said indignantly.

“Riiiiiight…. I’m ordering fried chicken for both of us” Yujeon said, ignoring how dramatic Chiwoong was being.

“No one loves me” Chiwoong grumbled before going back to burying his head in Yujeong’s sofa’s cushion. For a horrible moment, he wondered if that really was the case with Inseob but refused to entertain the possibility any longer.

Inseob liked him too right? Right?

**Author's Note:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/starryfics1?s=09) | [Tumblr](https://vixxscifiwritings.tumblr.com) | [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/poojamk15)


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